The Invasion
by Peter Dodge
Summary: A god creates his own plane and brings others to it, only to have more ... ambitious people attempt to conquer it. Parental warning: Violence. Please Read & Review.
1. Chapter the First

Thanks go to all the people who participated (and continue to play) in the game, which this story chronicles.  
  
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It all began in the desolate lands of the planes.  
  
A universe created by the Omnigod.  
  
Using his masterful energy and power, he created a world from nothingness.  
  
There was only one problem.  
  
There was no one there.  
  
The Omnigod did not have the power to generate life.  
  
Bearing his frustration among those that would bear his wrath; he then set a new goal.  
  
Dragging people from throughout the cosmoverse.  
  
Exploring dimensions and other galaxy's he began to seize control of people and culture throughout the cosmos.  
  
However those he did find were not willing to play his game.  
  
Many of the beings that were brought across were powerful entities in their own right and were used to giving the orders, rather then taking it.  
  
Making this conflict inevitable.  
  
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Chapter the First  
  
The Omnigod had brought his first. He grinned, satisfied, and spoke unto him thus:  
  
"You are the first. You shall go forth and find others like you. You shall bring them back to this place. You will be rewarded if you succeed."  
  
"Go forth and do as bid"  
  
His new arrival stumbled through the frozen wasteland, barely clinging onto consciousness. He wore tattered, bloody robes and his face had pain written across it. He did not understand.  
  
"Why am I tested? Where did I fail?"  
  
He had so many questions. He stopped, breathing heavily, every breath a fight. He coughed, and coughed again, leading to a fit that made him lose his footing. He stumbled to the snowy ground, coughing up blood.  
  
"I hope there's a village nearby - I can't take much more of this"  
  
He got himself up, using his spear as a crutch, and staggered forward.  
  
"Just a few more steps."  
  
The Omnigod answered in a booming voice.  
  
"You are tested because you cannot perceive your failure. You will succeed - if your strength of faith allows you."  
  
The priest continued to drag his spear defiantly. He touched his chest where his symbol of faith used to be, as if it would keep away the bone- chilling wind. He mumbled to himself.  
  
"Ah. You've lost it, priest - can't you remember? Your own troops took it away when you failed your god and was left for dead."  
  
Another coughing fit cut into his ranting.  
  
"Yes," he shouted defiantly to the sky, "I SHALL regain your favour and lead my troops again!"  
  
He coughs again, spitting out more blood and a few more expletives.  
  
The hooves of a horse became audible in the background. A ranger sat on the back of his steed, looking upon the new place in wonder. He saw icy crags and barren snowy hills surrounding him. 'What strange land is this?' he thought. He scanned his surrounds with his pale eyes, hoping to see some bastion of humanity. He raised his waterskin and to his lips, taking as small a sip as he could. 'I must be sparing,' he thought, 'I know not what the gods have in store for me now.'  
  
Again his eyes scanned the distance, but this time he spotted a figure in the distance.  
  
"Arturo," he said as he patted his steed, "let us go and find humanity"  
  
He started off in the direction of the figure. As he approached it, he found that it was indeed a man - a wounded one at that.  
  
"Good sir," he said to the stranger, "may I be of any assistance?"  
  
The delirious priest turned to meet the ranger, clutching his spear in both hands.  
  
"You . are not a another dream, sent to haunt me? No . I can smell your horse"  
  
He grinned, and the spat out some more blood.  
  
"Or, are you here to finish the job? Doesn't matter, I'm probably dead before the next daybreak."  
  
The battered priest gathered the last of his strength and stood up straight. He looked up to the sky, cursing under his breath, and then back down.  
  
"So, I'll live to see another day, eh? Be warned, stranger - accompanying a fallen priest might spell out damnation to you as well."  
  
He coughed out another clot of blood.  
  
"Well . as it is, you can call me Kadar of . no, just Kadar. We'd better get out of here, I feel a blizzard coming."  
  
He turned to leave.  
  
"I can pay you to escort me to the nearest settlement, stranger. But that's for tomorrow."  
  
The priest shook his fist at the heavens.  
  
"Hold the storm, Lord, or I won't be able to provide much entertainment to You!"  
  
He laughs until another fit overcomes him, finally finishing with,  
  
"Let's move"  
  
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A black-cloaked rider on a dark-coloured, red-eyed steed watched the pair from a snow-covered hill. An unnatural aura seemed to pervade the very air around him, having been the same aura that followed him in his past travels. He watched the scene, slightly amused at the insane cleric's ramblings. He decided that he had better keep an eye on them.  
  
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The ranger slid of his horse to aid the fallen priest.  
  
"Fear not priest," he addressed him, "fallen or not, a man of the cloth is still a man of the cloth. And in the condition you are in, the fall does not seem premeditated. I am Dred, defender of the great Forest of Ardinon. I know not how I arrived here, but the gods must have had purpose. Believe me, brother, you shall not fall here tonight, I shall see to that."  
  
Dred quickly began to tend to the priest's wounds. Bandage after bandage he applied to the seemingly endless wounds. After finally finishing, he begins to set up his tent and build a fire.  
  
"We must be careful my friend. I am not familiar with these parts. I know not what could await us. If you do not have a problem then we will stay here so that you may rest and hopefully heal."  
  
Kadar removed his mismatched gauntlets and sat by the fire the ranger constructed, resting his spear on his lap.  
  
"Thank you Dred of Ardinon. It must be a couple of days since I saw another living being."  
  
He coughed a bit, and then grinned at the heavens.  
  
"How d'ya like THEM apples, Lord? You didn't scare them all off, did you?"  
  
Satisfied with his words, the priest warmed his fingers by the fire, flexing them. He then examined his wounds.  
  
"These aren't so bad - it's the gut wound that had me a bit worried, though - with than infection and all." 


	2. Chapter the Second

Chapter the Second  
  
A leather-clad figure staggered across the frigid landscape clutching a cloak tight around him.  
  
"A simple job, he says. Just break into this house and get me this necklace, he says. A couple of guards and only a couple of simple traps, he says. That was not a SIMPLE trap," he mutters to himself.  
  
Trudging slowly through the windswept snow, the rogue occasionally stumbled, always regaining his feet and forcing himself to continue on. The plain seemed endless, with small hill he somehow managed to avoid. Finally, he fell on his knees and looked to the heavens.  
  
"What did I do to deserve this?" he shouted to the sky, not expecting an answer.  
  
Then his nose picked up a faint scent carried by the wind. Looking about, he sniffed the air, seeking the elusive scent.  
  
"Aha, a fire!," he muttered aloud, "maybe I can finally get warm."  
  
It didn't take him long to spot the line of smoke in the distance, and he rose slowly to his feet. With slightly more speed then before, he began to walk towards the fire.  
  
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The cloaked rider jerked its head to the right, seeing a far-off speck, something wearing leather, muttering to itself.  
  
"He shall beee firsssst.." the rider hissed.  
  
The cloaked one spurred his horse with its plated boots and charged towards the man, passing miles of snowy landscape with unholy speed. All the rogue could himself see was a speck, but it was growing larger by the moment.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The priest, noticing the leather-clad man and the black rider, stood up, gathering his spear and gauntlets. His spear glowed with in inner light.  
  
"Lord help us, it has begun"  
  
Dred pulled his scimitars from their sheaths.  
  
"You sense a battle, priest? If that is what is required, but do not fight alone, friend. I have a feeling we need to work together, probably, or our lives may be lost."  
  
Dred kneels down with the scimitars crossed in front of him, and lowers his head.  
  
"Father, guide these blades that lead your victories past. I will avenge you, father.."  
  
He rises and begins to follow the priest, scanning the horizon for any signs of life. Kadar raised his head, and sniffed the air.  
  
"I am not sure, Dred of Ardinon. The wind carries many scents. This may well be another of my nightmares.."  
  
The priest brought his spear to his brow saying a small prayer of his own.  
  
"Father, guide my hand this day,"  
  
Kadar then raised a slightly trembling hand in the general direction of the horseman.  
  
"Can you feel it approaching, Dred of Ardinon?"  
  
What could be felt is only an empty feeling, .. a feeling of dread .. of something powerful beyond mortal men. It charged towards the rogue, who was himself heading towards the fire.  
  
All thought could be seen was the glint of sunlight off the rider's crimson greatsword, which it carried in one hand as normally as a normal man would a longsword.  
  
"I smell a horse," Dred responded, "there are more close by."  
  
He sniffed the air again.  
  
"I smell four maybe. There is also a hint of another animal. I do not recognize the smell, but it is there, lingering in the wind. I feel confident that we are not alone, but I do not know whether they are friend or foe. Let us hope friend, eh?"  
  
"If you can hear me, state your intentions," Dred yelled in a bellowing voice, "we are but weary travellers in this realm."  
  
He turned to his horse, signalling to Kadar.  
  
"Here, let use save our energy for the coming trials that we will face. My horse is strong and will carry us."  
  
The priest nodded.  
  
"One is riding fast, charging maybe. Others are approaching from other directions, like they are hunting or searching.."  
  
Kadar got up, grunting with pain. He checked his gauntlets.  
  
"You lead, Dred of Ardinon."  
  
The cloaked figure stopped his horse and looked to the source of the voice. It noticed the fire and sniffed the air, smelling a horse. Good stock, but not enough to match the speed of it's own mount.  
  
"I ccoooommmmeeeeee to seeeeeek yoooouurrr deeessstruuuuction.." it replied in a loud, raspy voice.  
  
It spurred its mount again, with a new target. The black steed bounded across the snowy hills towards the ranger and priest.  
  
"May the gods be merciful" Dred muttered.  
  
He moved back and watched the man on the black horse charging.  
  
"Do you know this fiend? I must say that I do not and I do not know why he attacks. My friend, I hope you're up to this. You don't, by any chance, have aby tricks up your sleeve, do you?"  
  
Hearing the horseman's voice, Kadar froze, shaking.  
  
"NONONONO, this can't be happening to me!"  
  
He coughed and then regained his composure, looking to the skies.  
  
"A good one, Lord! Unholy beasts, now?"  
  
Kadar looked to Dred, flames of rage dancing in his eyes.  
  
"You take the rider down, I'll send the mount back to Hades. Beware the sword, it may be cursed."  
  
"We cannot be much worse off than we already are. I agree with you" Dred replied. He watched as the rider approached with a cloud of snow behind it. 'If the god of these lands has a higher plan for us, I hope he's watching' he thought.  
  
"Cursed swords be damned, my friend. It seems our only option is to fight" Dred said in a steely voice. 


End file.
